The present invention relates to a hand tool that is used for measuring. Among other measuring tasks, the tool is particularly well-suited for making the measurements required for hanging picture frames. It is common for the hanging mechanism of a frame to be simply a wire that is attached to either side of the frame. Alternatively, a loop or serrated surface may be fixed to the frame for accommodating a hook. Regardless of the hanging mechanism used, the position of the hanging mechanism on the back surface of the frame makes it difficult to accurately determine where the corresponding hook should be positioned on a wall. Compounding the problem, the vertical distance between the top of a frame and its hanging mechanism varies widely from frame to frame.
There have been some attempts in the prior art to devise a tool that can be used to locate the appropriate position on a wall for a hook or similar hanger. These devices, however, are often cumbersome and still require some degree of manual measurement, limiting their accuracy.